Heart of Gold
by LiLover131
Summary: NEW! Sakura and the gang are now in middle school, and the peace has not budged since the events of the VOID card years ago. But, now strange things are happening in Tomoeda again, and the Cardcaptors may be out of their league...
1. Some things never change

Lilover131: I'm baaaaack! After finishing my longtime work Cry of a Wolf, I am bursting with inspiration and am on my way to another story! Cry of a Wolf was started when I was 15 years old, and I will admit there are parts I am proud of and parts that I am not. This story is sort of my shot at writing an idea I've had for a long time but with my more grown up self (if you can say I've grown….). I hope you all like it, and please don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is always welcome!

 **Heart of Gold-Chapter One: Some things never change**

Sakura awoke on her bed, sleepily gazing around her bedroom as the morning light shone in. Emerald eyes looked to the clock by her bed. It was surprising for her to be up before her alarm, and Kero appeared to be still asleep in his makeshift bed within the desk drawer. The young woman yawned before slipping out of bed and started her daily ritual.

It was another day of school, however today was a special day. Sakura did the same routine as always, though awake earlier than usual, and cheerfully made her way down the stairs. She had managed to get changed without waking Kero, but this was an easier task when she was not running like a mad woman to get to school on time.

Sakura's father, Fujitaka, already had breakfast waiting for her when she came down and smiled at his daughter.

"Good morning, Sakura"

She returned the smile and gave her morning greetings to both him and the new picture of her mother. It was amazing how her father managed to put up a new picture every day. Eventually, there would be a repeat once all of them had been displayed. With Nadeshiko having been such a beautiful woman, it wasn't surprising there were so many photos of her. Sakura only wished she would have gotten to know her properly rather than through stories and pictures.

The girl sat at the dining room table, thrilled to see her favorite breakfast food; pancakes. Her face lit up with excitement, and her father appeared to find some joy in having made her so happy.

"I made you your favorite. Today is your birthday, after all"

Today was April 1st, and this day was also shared as the day Sakura was born. She nodded in acknowledgement of the occasion.

"Thank you, Father. Itadakimasu!" (Translation: It's time to eat!)

Sakura started eating her breakfast, and a voice rang out from the hallway where the stairs were.

"Is the monster really 15 now? She doesn't look she's grown at all. In fact, I think she might have gotten shorter!"

The young girl's mood was already ruined, and her emerald eyes glared at her older brother Touya, standing by the opening to the kitchen.

"I _have_ gotten taller, but even though you're in college now, you still behave like a big child!"

Touya winced at the insult before sitting down next to his little sister, newspaper in hand. Sakura glanced at an article on the front page, intrigued by the header. The words read: _Cherry Tree in Tsukimine Shrine Blooming Dark Petals?_ Touya noticed his sister's curiosity, and placed the paper down on the table.

"You didn't hear? The cherry blossoms on the tree at Tsukimine Shrine have turned completely black. No one seems to know why"

Sakura frowned as she was very familiar with this tree. It had quite a bit of magic stored in it, since it was so old, and it had helped her on more than one occasion. Touya gently touched her head as his way of comfort.

"Are you walking alone to school?"

The girl shook her head and smiled, taking the final bite of her pancake before answering.

"Syaoran-kun is going to meet me so we can walk together"

The older brother was instantly regretting having asked, his irritation not hidden well. Fujitaka emerged from the kitchen, two bentos in hand and offered them to Sakura. The girl was surprised, certainly confused as to why her father had made her two lunches rather than one.

"Please give this to Li-kun, won't you? I wanted to thank him for helping with dinner the other night"

Sakura had nearly forgotten that the boy had been over to the house a couple days ago for help on a research paper from Fujitaka. The two had been getting along rather well, and Syaoran's interest in archaeology had really taken off with her father's help. Naturally, he stayed for several hours and was invited for dinner. However, dinner had multiplied as Yukito also joined them, and with his appetite….needless to say, her father required help, and Syaoran stepped in. Sakura took the second bento and nodded with a smile.

With that, the young woman finished packing her bag and made her final adjustments to her uniform. Since she was in middle school now, her uniform had changed as well. She now wore a longsleeved black shirt with a square neckline that ended right above her chest and two rows of 3 gold buttons. Underneath was a white collared dress shirt with red stripes on the edges of the sleeves where they appeared under the black shirt. She also wore a white, mid thigh skirt, with a red strip lined at the bottom, white stockings, and a short white women's tie, also lined with a red stripe. The Tomoeda middle school logo was placed on the side by her shoulder. Sakura put her black dress shoes on by the front door, and called out to her family as she left.

The first thing she noticed as she stepped outside her home was the beautiful sunshine and perfect temperature. The birds were singing, and the weather seemed ideal for a day starting off so well. The only thing that could make this day better was…

"Ohayo!" (Translation: Good morning)

A familiar voice reached out to her from behind the front gate of her home, and when her eyes traced back to the source, Sakura could not help but smile.

"Syaoran-kun…"

The girl moved to the young man who was waiting for her with that gentle smile that only she received.

"You're ready earlier than usual"

Sakura nodded and approached him, face slightly tinted red.

"I had a dream, and it woke me up before my alarm did"

Syaoran tilted his head at this statement, unsure of what that meant exactly. After all, the girl's powers had grown quite a bit since she first became the Card Mistress, and any dream at all could be important. She had always had a real gift for seeing the future in dreams

"Was it a premonitory dream?"

The boy asked out of curiosity, and Sakura gave a soft sigh.

"You know, I'm not really sure…it was definitely strange"

The girl shook her head, as if to dismiss the subject, and her smile returned.

"You're earlier than usual as well, Syaoran-kun"

The amber eyed boy smiled at her and started to reach into his bag.

"Well, I wanted to make sure I gave this to you as soon as possible"

Sakura blinked curiously and watched as he pulled out a delicately wrapped box.

"…For me?"

Syaoran nodded, holding out the small box to her.

"Happy birthday, Sakura"

The girl excitedly opened the present, brushing her fingers over the box before lifting the top. Inside was a beautiful, handmade hairpiece with a cherry blossom design and embellished with a light pink satin bow. Her emerald eyes lit with awe, and she could not help but leap forth to wrap Syaoran in an embrace.

"Arigatou, Syaoran-kun! It's beautiful. I'll wear it right now!" (Translation: Thank you)

The chocolate haired boy blushed shyly from the show of affection but did not move away. He was soon released and the girl spent a few minutes putting half of her hair up, pulling it all together with the new hairpiece in the back. She giggled happily before looking back to Syaoran.

"Does it look all right?"

He smiled and nodded before gently taking her hand.

"It looks perfect. Let's get to school"

Sakura was in full agreement, and the two walked hand in hand down the street. The cherry blossom trees were fully bloomed at this time of year, and the petals seemed to rain down on them like snow. The two engaged in normal conversation, which in these peaceful days, was usually school related. However, it wasn't long before their talk was cut short as a cold feeling seemed to cut through both of them.

"Syaoran-kun…do you feel that?"

His serious expression was enough of an answer for her. They stood outside of the Tsukimine Shrine, a place filled with so many memories. There was a dark presence coming from this special place, so thick it seemed almost tangible. Syaoran and Sakura stepped through the gate, surprised to see a crowd of people standing around the ancient tree that had become an important landmark of Tomoeda. Sakura's eyes widened at the petals that were black as soot.

The strange appearance seemed to have attracted several news crews and there were plenty of passerbys that wanted a glimpse at the wondrous tree. Syaoran amber eyes were glaring with intensity, shuddering slightly at the sickly presence caressing his senses.

"This was on the newspaper this morning…but I didn't realize…"

Syaoran leaned closer to Sakura and whispered.

"There's an evil presence here…but we can't check it out with all these people here…I think I'll check it out when no one is around…"

The girl squeezed his hand.

"I'll go with you"

At first, Syaoran wanted to deny her, but he simply nodded before wrenching her away from the shrine, making their way to school. The conversation was quieter the rest of the way as they had difficulty ridding themselves of the unsettling feeling left from the tree.

Tomoyo was the first to greet them when they arrived, immediately bringing out her camera to record the joyous event of Sakura's birthday. The auburn haired girl was blushing in embarrassment, and Tomoyo focused a bit of extra attention on the new hairpiece.

"Oh…is this new? It's from Li-kun, I'm assuming?"

Sakura was wide eyed at her best friend's brilliant observation skills.

"How did you know, Daidouji-san?"

Syaoran was almost more surprised than Sakura was, and Tomoyo's amethyst colored eyes seemed to sparkle in excitement.

"Because it's Sakura-chan, of course!"

Sakura was hiding her face in shame now, though one would have thought she'd be used to such attention by now. Some things really never changed.

The school day carried on as usual, and Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo all ate lunch together outside beneath a cherry tree. The dark haired girl was curious about the strange tree from earlier.

"I heard about it, but I haven't seen it yet. You both felt something strange?"

The couple nodded in unison.

"It felt…cold…it's hard to explain…"

Sakura was trying to wrap her head around the presence that was so different than anything she'd felt before. Syaoran took a bite of the lunch Fujitaka had prepared for him, his face serious as the thought dwelled in his mind as well.

"How is the bento, Syaoran-kun?"

The boy seemed pleased with the taste and gave a look of approval. Tomoyo smiled before commenting.

"Your father is a very good cook, Sakura-chan"

"He is! He was impressed with Syaoran-kun's cooking skills the other day. He couldn't believe that he lives all by himself"

Syaoran blushed at the compliments and his eyes were practically burning holes in the ground.

"It's really no big deal…"

Both Sakura and Tomoyo giggled at his reaction, and shortly after, lunch was over and school resumed. The day went by in a flash, and all their friends did not forget to wish Sakura a happy birthday. Syaoran walked her all the way home, where she was greeted with a typical celebration with her family. There was cake, presents, and Syaoran stayed for a little while, much to Touya's dismay, before excusing himself for the evening. He still had homework to do, after all, though he was reluctant to leave Sakura's side.

As he walked home, he passed by the entrance of Tsukimine Shrine and gave a small shiver at the uncomfortable feeling that rolled down his spine. The presence felt even stronger than before, and this time, there were no people around to prevent him from getting a better look. He hesitated for a moment, remembering that Sakura had wanted to go together, but if this presence was getting stronger, it would have been irresponsible to not get an idea of what was happening while he had the chance, right?

Syaoran stepped through the gate and approached the dark flowered tree, keeping the talisman that contained his sword close by. His amber eyes trailed up the tree and widened once they came into contact with what appeared to be another set of eyes, a haunting yellow color.

"What the…?"

Before he could finish speaking, something had leapt from the tree in a speed he'd never witnessed before, and the force impacted him, sending him tumbling back onto the ground. The back of his head smacked against the concrete, and his vision became blurred. A figure towered over him, and he weakly lifted his hand in preparation to utter a spell.

Then, his eyes tightly shut as a bright flash of light appeared over him, evoking a shriek from the dark figure. The light had soon passed, and his eyes reopened to see a new blurred figure above him, shining with golden rays. Moments later, his vision was engulfed in darkness as he lost consciousness.

Lilover131: And that's chapter one! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm sorry if it starts off a little slow, but I promise it'll get much more interesting soon! If you liked this, I would very much appreciate reviews, whether they are good or bad (I don't mind constructive criticism)! Thank you very much for your support and see you next time!


	2. Only Inevitability

Lilover131: Hey everyone! I hope you're all excited for this chapter! I'm already having a lot of fun writing this, and I know there aren't as many people reading/writing CCS fanfics as there were years ago, but for those of you still around, thank you for reading!

 **Heart of Gold-Chapter Two: Only Inevitability**

Syaoran awoke with a nasty headache, but more surprisingly, he was in his room. Was it all a dream…? All he could remember was something leaping out at him and then that flash of light. He reached to touch the back of his head that had impacted the concrete and winced at the twinge of pain. It was real, all right.

"So you're finally awake!"

The boy's amber eyes blinked at the unexpected voice coming from beside him. He lived alone…why would…? When his head turned to the side, he came into contact with a pair of big red eyes, and he instantly jumped in surprise, flailing and shouting before falling off the bed. The person on his bed giggled at his reaction and leaned over the bed to check on his status.

"You're funny! You should be careful though…that was some fall you took!"

Syaoran's eyes widened and he straightened himself up from his not so composed position on the floor. His face was bright red in embarrassment, and stared in shock. On his bed was a girl about his age with long pale blond hair up in pigtails and wearing a white, Lolita style dress.

"W-who are you? What happened? How did I get back here?"

The girl smiled at him as he got back to his feet and dusted himself off. He was still in his school uniform, and the only articles of clothing that had been removed were his shoes, blazer, and tie.

"My name is Hino Akane, but you can call me Akane. You were attacked by something and took a nasty fall. I brought you back here, and you were out the whole night"

Syaoran was still stunned by the events of the morning, and stood by the bed, looking down at the girl who was speaking so casually about the whole situation.

"How…how did you know where I lived?"

Akane tilted her head as if it were a silly question and pointed to the wallet on the nightstand by his bed.

"It was on your I.D., and of course your key was in your pocket"

Syaoran still felt like something was out of place. How on earth did a tiny girl like her carry him all the way back to his place? She was full of mystery already.

"You don't have to introduce yourself. Your name is Li Syaoran, right? That's such cute name! It means 'Little wolf', doesn't it?"

The boy blushed again and shook his head to try and get rid of his shyness before looking at the clock on his nightstand. How long did he sleep exactly? When he saw the time, he immediately went into a panic. He had only twenty minutes to get to school! Syaoran frantically ran around, grabbing a set of clean clothes to wear, washing his face, brushing his teeth, grabbing his bag…oh god, he never finished his homework! There was no time to eat breakfast or prepare his lunch, so he'd have to buy lunch and make sure he didn't forget…

Akane giggled and held his wallet out to him, and the boy took it, stuffing it into his pocket. He was about to run out the door when he stopped to peek back into the bedroom.

"Thank you, by the way…you're welcome to stay here today until I get back home…I still have questions for you"

The girl did a little solute and leapt off the bed energetically.

"Aye aye, Sir!"

Syaoran blinked at her response.

"….Right"

He resumed dashing out the door and bolted for school. The boy had barely made it on time, coming through the door to the classroom just as the bell tolled. Sakura looked to him in concern as he panted in exhaustion from his run. She and Tomoyo looked at each other, then back to Syaoran, whose face was buried in the desk.

"Syaoran-kun? Are you all right? It's not like you to cut it so close"

"Yes…I'm all right. It's a long story"

Sakura still held worry in her expression, but she understood he likely couldn't talk about it here.

"Did you hear? The tree…this morning it was back to normal"

The boy blinked, visibly stunned. This was only more affirming that what had happened to him last night wasn't a dream, but why was the tree back to normal? It wasn't like he had been able to do anything…

"You know…"

Their longtime classmate Yamazaki suddenly stepped in, his hand up in declaration as if he was about to tell them something very important.

"…Many, many years ago, trees used to walk around like humans! Cherry blossom trees in particular were very active, and each year in the spring, they would have a race to see which tree was the fastest. People fed the trees cherries for good luck, and they would bloom pink!"

Sakura gaped, and Syaoran seemed fascinated.

"What?! Really?! I had no idea!"

It was not uncommon for Yamazaki to tell lies, but the only two who ever believed his stories were Sakura and Syaoran. Even though they were older, it seemed they were still just as gullible. It was worse when Eriol was around to join in, but with him being back in England, Yamazaki was on his own. He nodded in response to the girl and continued his farfetched lie.

"Over time, they grew old and could no longer move, so they dove their roots into the ground and have been asleep for hundreds of years, still blooming pink in the spring every year as a way to thank the people for the cherries"

Sakura nodded as if this story made complete sense, and though Syaoran was tentative to believe it, he wasn't denying the possibility either. It wasn't long before another classmate, Chiharu, approached Yamazaki as usual and dragged him away by his collar.

"You and yours lies…"

Yamazaki laughed as his girlfriend dragged him off, leaving Sakura and Syaoran in a stupor.

"It was a lie…?"

Sakura seemed almost disappointed until the teacher walked into the classroom and everyone took their seats. Throughout class, it wasn't hard to tell that Syaoran was distracted by something. A few hours passed, and soon enough, it was lunch time. Sakura met with the boy on the rooftop this time around so that they could have a little more privacy. Syaoran leaned against the fenced edge and awaited Sakura's questions.

"What happened? You've been dazed today…"

He took a deep breath before responding.

"I went to the tree last night…"

There was already a look of concern on the girl's face, and Syaoran hated that. He hated to see her worried or upset.

"I'm all right. But there was definitely something there…and I think something saved me"

Sakura blinked.

"Something saved you…? From what?"

Syaoran shook his head, clearly frustrated at the situation.

"I'm not sure…"

The girl took his hand in hers comfortingly, and he smiled at her. Her frown did not last long, her smile returning.

"I'm glad you're all right…do you think the tree in Tsukimine Shrine turning back to normal has anything to do with last night?"

Syaoran crossed his arms in deep thought, not entirely confident on how to answer that question.

"I'm not sure…maybe it was that light I saw…?"

The two were in thought, trying to put all these clues together when their eyes caught glimpse of something falling from the sky. It was like a black comet tumbling to Earth, and it was only mere seconds before it impacted. The ground shook violently, and Sakura screamed as Syaoran took her into a protective embrace, lowering them to the floor. The vibrations lasted for several minutes until they finally dissipated, leaving the two sighing in relief.

"Are you all right?"

Syaoran asked the girl as he helped her back up to her feet. She nodded slowly, eyes wide in astonishment.

"What was that?"

The boy could not answer her, but soon enough, the school's intercom was calling for everyone to return to their classroom for a roll call. They did so, and fortunately, it seemed no one was harmed. However, because of the circumstances, leaving the school was not allowed until they deemed the roads safe to travel on. Surprisingly, it didn't take long for the declaration to be made. In fact…it seemed hardly any damage was done at all despite the intensity of the quake. Students all over the school whispered about the bizarre events happening in Tomoeda, and Syaoran and Sakura noticed that none of them mentioned the black mass that had descended from above.

"Tomoyo-chan…did you see the black thing that fell from the sky?"

The dark haired girl seemed very confused by the question and shook her head.

"No…what do you mean?"

This was getting stranger and stranger. Soon enough, the students were released from school, and everyone was quick to go home. Sakura called her family to check on them, and it seemed they were all right. However, both her father and brother were stuck at the college and unable to make it home for several hours. Not wanting to be alone, Sakura opted to go to Syaoran's apartment in the meantime, where he would walk her home later. Fujitaka agreed, and though Touya wasn't necessarily happy about this option, he felt much better about Sakura being with someone he knew would do his best to keep her safe if something happened.

With the plans set, they didn't waste any time getting to Syaoran's place. Tomoyo was gracious enough to give them a ride when her bodyguards came to retrieve her, but once they arrived, she also stepped out of the car.

"Tomoyo-chan?"

Sakura was confused as to why their friend seemed to be tagging along rather than going home. The dark haired girl smiled and took the other girl's hands.

"Sakura-chan…after the quake, you seemed worried about something. You too, Li-kun. If there is something I can do to help, I hope you will let me"

Both Syaoran and Sakura gave a grateful smile and nodded. Tomoyo had always been very observant, and of course she wouldn't miss the uneasiness they had been feeling all day.

"You always help us, Daidouji-san"

The boy gestured for both of them to follow, the bodyguards staying nearby from the outside. He lead them to the third floor of the apartment building, though they didn't exactly need any directions to find it. It was a stroke of luck that he managed to get the same apartment when he returned to Japan. Well, maybe not. Syaoran was convinced that his mother never ended the lease, because she knew he would eventually return. She herself had said that Sakura was his 'destined one'.

He opened the door, and the three took their shoes off before entering. Syaoran blinked as he heard what sounded like the television.

"…I didn't leave the television on…"

As they stepped inside, the boy cried out as he saw the girl sprawled over the couch in front of the television. How could he have forgotten about her?! She was watching a rather cheesy looking anime, an amused grin on her face. Her red eyes looked over to him upon the surprised cry.

"Oh! The little wolf is back! Do you yell like that every time you see someone?"

Sakura and Tomoyo blinked, not having expected to see an unfamiliar girl lying on Syaoran's couch. His face was beet red, amber eyes darting every which way. He wasn't sure how to explain to them how this girl had gotten into his house, and he never got the chance to tell Sakura at school. The emerald eyed girl tilted her head for a moment before asking the question on everyone's mind.

"Who are you?"

The blonde girl leapt off of the couch and moved to approach the others.

"Konnichiwa. I am Hino Akane. Pleasure to meet you!"

Sakura and Tomoyo both bowed back.

"Nice to meet you! I am Kinomoto Sakura and this is my best friend, Daidouji Tomoyo"

Syaoran took a sigh of relief, glad that he did not receive any retaliation or have any misunderstandings. Had Meilin still been around, surely she would have been shouting at him by now at the strange girl in his apartment. Despite Sakura being much better mannered, his face was still red with embarrassment.

"Little wolf, you're so lucky to have such cute friends!"

"I-I…"

Tomoyo couldn't help but giggle at his response. It was so very like him to get flustered in situations like these, but there was never any doubt about his feelings for Sakura. Akane's eyes observed the girls for a moment.

"Are those your school uniforms! So cute! I wish I had one!"

The girls thanked her for the compliment and took a seat, while Syaoran went to retrieve some tea for his guests. This gave him a moment to breathe, and once he returned, he seemed much calmer. The anime program on the television was interrupted by a news bulletin, speaking about the strange earthquake. The group was surprised to hear that the quake was localized to Tomoeda and that scientists could not discover the source. Because of how contained it was, it didn't seem likely to be actual tectonic activity.

"Syaoran-kun, do you think it was…"

Syaoran opened his mouth to speak, but Akane spoke first.

"It was the dark star"

Everyone was stunned at the blonde's words. Syaoran was more suspicious than ever.

"You saw it?"

Akane nodded, nonchalantly sipping her tea before resting it back on the saucer.

"Syaoran-kun and I were the only ones who saw it at our school…"

Sakura spoke quietly, and the blonde seemed deathly serious now.

"If you two saw it, then I have come to the right people after all…"

Tomoyo shook her head with a slight frown.

"I didn't see anything at all…"

Akane looked to her and her smile returned.

"Only those with magical abilities could have seen it. But the fact that you are here now is no coincidence. There is no such thing as coincidence…only inevitability. You will likely have a part in this as well"

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. He had heard these words before.

"A part in what?"

He asked the blonde, his curiosity peaked. Who was this girl exactly, and how did she already know so much? Akane looked to the three of them, her red eyes pleading.

"I need your help…the world is in great danger"

Lilover131: Chapter Two done! Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I promise there will be some answers in the next chapter! Please look forward to it! Also, I very much appreciate feedback, whether it be positive or negative (as long as it is constructive), so please review! Until next time!


	3. Never Alone

Lilover131: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait! Things should progress a little more in this chapter, but there's going to be a lot of dialogue. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or its characters. Please support CLAMP by buying their work and merchandise!

 **Heart of Gold-Chapter Three: Never Alone**

Akane had suddenly asked for their help, and the three looked to her for answers. It seemed as if she knew something about the events of the past few days, but to say the world was at stake…it carried a daunting similarity to when Sakura first began collecting the Clow cards.

"The world…is in danger…?"

Sakura didn't like the sound of this already, and Syaoran's brows furrowed his seriousness. The blonde girl nodded, biting her bottom lip. She appeared quite distressed, and it was hard to deny that she was genuine in her feelings.

"I'm not entirely sure where to start…or if you'll even believe me…"

Syaoran sighed.

"We won't know until you tell us…"

Akane nodded in agreement and took a sip of tea to calm her nerves before she continued.

"Do you know of Amaterasu-Omikami?"

The three had certainly not expected that to be the start of her explanation. Tomoyo chimed in first, her head tilted in fascination.

"The Sun Goddess Amaterasu?"

Akane nodded again.

"In Shinto mythology, Amaterasu was born of the left eye of Izanagi-no-Mikoto, one of the great deities who created the main islands of Japan. He cleansed himself after narrowly escaping the land of Yomi, the world of the undead, and from that, many deities were born, including Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun, and her two brothers, Tsukuyomi, God of the Moon, and Susanoo, God of Storm and Sea"

The girl paused for a moment to make sure the others were in understanding before she continued.

"There is a story that speaks of Amaterasu and the rocky relationship with her younger brother Susanoo. They were rivals in a way. Susanoo was always trying to challenge his sister, and eventually Izanagi sent him out of the heavens to the land of Yomi. The god went to Amaterasu to bid her goodbye and in order to show his sincerity, one last challenge was made. From Susanoo's sword, Amaterasu birthed three women, and from Amaterasu's necklace, Susanoo birthed five women"

Tomoyo nodded, appearing to be familiar with the story.

"I've heard this before. Amaterasu claimed that she won because Susanoo's sword had given birth to women while her necklace had given birth to men"

Sakura also knew this story, but Syaoran did not seem as confident.

"I haven't heard of this before"

Tomoyo gave a gentle smile to Syaoran.

"I doubt you would know much, seeing as you're from Hong Kong. Shinto is a system of beliefs specific to Japan"

The boy didn't disagree with her.

"I understand the basics of it. There are millions of gods that live among us in nature and even in people"

Akane affirmed this statement and carried on.

"Well, Susanoo was infuriated with his sister's declaration of victory, and in retaliation, he destroyed her rice fields and killed one of her attendants when he threw a flayed pony into her room"

Sakura blinked and laughed nervously.

"Sounds like he had a temper…"

"Amaterasu was so upset that she hid inside of a cave, causing the world to be shrouded in darkness. However, she was eventually persuaded out through hearing laughter at the show going on outside, a string of glittering jewels, and a mirror that stunned Amaterasu when she saw her own beauty. The light of the sun returned to the world, and she pledged to never hide away again. Susanoo, after having been banished and wishing to make amends with his sister, offered her a sword he had retrieved from the neck of the snake beast, Orochi"

The three listened, unsure of where this lesson in mythology was heading.

"The mirror, the jewel, and the sword became what are now known at the Imperial Regalia of Japan, a symbol of the royal family and the descendants of Amaterasu"

"What does this story have to do with the strange things going on? Are you saying it's related to the gods?"

Syaoran asked, and Akane looked him directly in the eye.

"Yes…"

Sakura looked both concerned and intimidated. The blonde smiled at her, then at the others.

"I believe you can help"

They waited in anticipation.

"I need to collect these three items, no matter what"

The three seemed confused by this statement, and they weren't entirely sure how to respond. Tomoyo spoke up after a moment.

"The Imperial Regalia? The items have only ever been seen by members of the royal family and very few priests. It's also rumored that those protected in the shrines are replicas…"

Akane nodded, not disregarding this as truth.

"Yes. The items Japan knows of are replicas, but the real things still exist"

Their eyes widened in surprise.

"The items have long been known as sacred items to legitimize and bless the Emperor's rule, but there is a tale that the real items were lost long ago when the grandmother of Emperor Antoku, fled with the young Emperor and took the treasures with them. They drowned themselves to avoid capture, and it was said that the treasures may have been lost in the sea. The story says that the Yasakani no Magatama, the jewel, and the Yata no Kagami, the mirror, were the only two to be recovered. The Sword of Kusanagi was lost forever"

Sakura tilted her head, still confused.

"So the treasures protected in the shrines really are replicas?"

Akane nodded, but Syaoran didn't seem satisfied quite yet.

"Why do you need these treasures, and what does this have anything to do with what has been happening?"

The blonde knew this question would eventually come along.

"I apologize for not getting straight to the point, but I thought if I told you a little bit of the history, it might help you to better understand why. You see, I am a servant of Amaterasu…and she is in danger. The three treasures have an immense power, and if they fall into the wrong hands…"

Syaoran frowned, and Sakura and Tomoyo seemed concerned.

"Someone is trying to find these treasures…? For what purpose?"

Sakura asked, growing increasingly nervous of the answer. Akane had already said before that the world was in danger, but she didn't know what to expect at all when gods and ancient treasures were involved. Akane lifted her red eyes to them, her face deathly serious.

"A god by the name of Amatsu-Mikaboshi. He wishes to find the treasures and with them…destroy Amaterasu"

Syaoran seemed to understand the consequences of such an act, though Tomoyo and Sakura didn't quite understand.

"If the Goddess of the Sun were destroyed…that means…"

"The world would be shrouded in eternal darkness. There would be a major imbalance in the celestial plane"

Sakura gulped, looking to Syaoran, who appeared absolutely horrified. She wasn't sure exactly what would happen, but Kero had spoken to her many times about the importance of balance in dark and light. If the light was gone…she could only imagine it was ten times worse than when Eriol had blotted out the sun and moon in her final trial to change the Clow Cards.

"So…if we collect these treasures, we can protect Amaterasu and the world?"

Akane nodded.

"Yes, but I won't lie and say it won't be dangerous. You could lose your lives and will likely encounter those with powers similar to that of a god. Amatsu-Mikaboshi has followers…"

Sakura looked to the others for guidance, and Syaoran looked to Akane with narrowed amber eyes.

"How do we know you're really who you say you are? What's to say you're not actually the one who wants these treasures to bring about darkness?"

He wasn't sure if they could trust Akane, and with all that was told to them, he simply couldn't risk his life without asking this. The blonde's eyes averted to the ground, staring into her tea.

"I have no way to prove it…you would have to trust me. I know I'm asking for a lot, but please know that I am telling the truth"

Sakura watched her carefully as she spoke and rested a comforting hand over Akane's.

"I believe you…and I will help you"

The girl seemed incredibly surprised, and her eyes rose from the teacup, staring back widely at Sakura.

"Really? You'll help me?"

Sakura nodded, and Syaoran gave a slight sigh. It wasn't often that she read a person wrong, so if she trusted her, he would as well.

"Then, I'll help too…"

Tomoyo smiled at them and gave a little nod.

"I may not have any magic, but I will do whatever I can to help as well"

Akane seemed incredibly relieved and took Sakura's hands into her own after placing her teacup down on the table.

"Thank you so much! All of you…"

Sakura and Tomoyo both smiled sweetly at her, while Syaoran's face seemed to soften in expression. Truth be told, he was nervous about all of this. He knew it wasn't in Sakura's nature to turn down someone asking for help, but this was something perhaps out of their league. They knew how to deal with Clow Cards, but Gods?

Tomoyo looked down at her watch and sighed a bit.

"It's starting to get close to dinner time. I should hurry home before mother starts to worry"

Sakura nodded in agreement.

"That's true. I have dinner duty tonight, so I should get home too"

The two stood up from the couch and thanked Syaoran for his hospitality and also politely said goodbye to Akane. Syaoran followed the two outside the apartment and waved to Tomoyo as she walked off in the direction of her home. She lived close by, so there was no need to call for the car. Sakura was about to walk back herself, but Syaoran stopped her short.

"Wait…I'll walk you home"

"Are you sure? It's a bit of a walk for you to go all the way to my house and back"

Syaoran nodded, his eyes holding a determination.

"Yes. I want to walk you home no matter what"

Sakura cheeks were tinted pink, and she nodded back in quiet acceptance before the two began walking.

"Syaoran-kun…it was nice of you to offer Akane-san a place to stay"

The boy acted as if it were no big deal, but he couldn't conceal the small blush on his face.

"Well, I can better keep an eye on her this way. I'm not entirely sure I trust her yet, and I have the space, so it's not inconvenient"

Sakura smiled warmly.

"I think it's nice. You won't be alone now"

His blush was at full force now, and he tucked his hands in his pockets bashfully.

"It's no big deal…I don't mind being by myself"

Sakura giggled, and the two had an innocent conversation until they came about Tsukimine Shrine. Just as was reported, the large cherry blossom tree was back to its original state, but something still didn't feel quite right. Syaoran's eyes narrowed and glanced all around them as he kept close to his love.

"Sakura…do you feel that?"

She nodded and gasped as a figure seemed to be standing on the road before them. When did they get there? She hadn't seen anyone walking around. The two looked at what seemed to be the back of a white parasol, and delicate hands lifted it up to reveal what was underneath. A young girl, maybe not much older than them, wearing a white dress with long flowing sleeves like a kimono and a short skirt with ruffles at the edges. She wore a deep red sash around her waist, and white high heeled shoes with straps at the ankles. Her black hair was in a messy bun over her head, her bangs only slightly covering her icy blue eyes. The girl smiled at them almost innocently, but Sakura and Syaoran could sense an ominous energy coming from her. 

"Who are you?"

Syaoran asked in a demanding tone, keeping slightly in front of Sakura in case there were any sudden movements. The girl tilted her head and blinked, as if he had said something quite foreign.

"You really don't know anything, do you? This should be fun"

Her hands began to spin the parasol, and it seemed to spin so fast that it became a blur of white. Wind swirled in all directions and easily picked the two sorcerers up off their feet, causing them to shout in surprise. The girl giggled in amusement before dropping them back onto the ground with a rather uncomfortable thud. She stepped closer to them, wind still surrounding her like a tornado.

"My name is Shinatobe. But you can call me Shina. I am the goddess of wind. Die for me will you?"

~ _CHAPTER END~_

Lilover131: Uh oh! It's another cliffhanger! Hang in there, and I'll update as soon as I can! As always, thanks for reading, and look forward to the next installment!


	4. Favored by the Gods

Lilover131: Hey there! Did you guys enjoy the last chapter? I hope things are more interesting for you now, and I hope that I can make it better and better from here on out! Your support means so much to me, and I'm looking forward to writing more from here on out! Without further ado, here is Chapter 4!

 **Heart of Gold-Chapter 4: Favored by the Gods**

" _My name is Shinatobe. But you can call me Shina. I am the goddess of wind. Die for me will you?"_

Those words were enough to send chills down Sakura and Syaoran's spines. The goddess had spoken so casually, as if asking them for a favor, and the favor was for them to perish without a fight. Shina pointed the tip of her parasol towards them, and Syaoran quickly grabbed Sakura, rolling with her out of the way before a sharp cut of wind struck the ground and left a distinct gash in the cement. Sakura paled at the damage left behind, but was lifted up by the boy and rapidly guided behind the guard of a tree. Shina smirked, her pale blue eyes following them as they moved.

"You think the tree will protect you?"

Sakura's eyes were wide with fear, and Syaoran's face showed worry from their current predicament.

"Syaoran-kun, what should we do? I…"

"DUCK!"

Syaoran silenced her before grabbing her and dropping down the ground, narrowly missing the wind that sliced clean through the tree. The two could feel it just graze the top of their heads and shaving off a few strands of hair before the tree toppled loudly against the ground.

"HOOEEE!"

Sakura cried out in surprise before she was once again dragged off by Syaoran towards the nearest building inside Tsukimine Shrine. The boy quickly slammed the sliding door shut and looked to her with urgency in his eyes.

"Sakura! Hurry and release the key! We don't have much time!"

She nodded and quickly pulled the key from around her neck, whispering her incantation and pleadingly asked for the glow it usually emitted to be a bit dimmer than usual. They couldn't afford to be detected yet after all. The key formed into the star staff, as it always did, and she rummaged through her cards for the right one.

"Wind…how do I fight wind?"

Syaoran peered out through a crack at the outside, spotting Shina growing ever closer. Her parasol was twirling slowly and threateningly, and she seemed to be singing a playful song.

"Come out, little sorcerers!"

She seemed to be growing ever closer, and as Sakura did her best to make a choice, Syaoran looked to her with a serious gaze.

"Sakura…I'm going to distract her to buy you some time"

The girl shook her head rapidly, her face filled with worry.

"No! It's too dangerous, Syaoran-kun…I'll go with you!"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the talisman he always carried that held his sword and smiled at her.

"I'll be all right. I won't die. Just focus on finding a way to beat her, okay? I know you can do it…you've got your invincible spell, remember?"

Her emerald eyes widened and she calmly nodded in understanding. Things would most definitely be all right. Syaoran released his sword before and quickly rushed out the sliding door, charging directly towards Shina. She grinned and aimed the parasol in his direction, seemingly amused by his attempt to directly attack her, or at least it seemed that way. At the last moment, he moved ever slightly to the side and slid along the ground until he was slightly behind her. He brought his index and middle finger together in preparation for a spell and shouted his incantation.

"God of Fire, answer my call!"

Great flames erupted all around them, and Syaoran moved out of the way as the fire spread. His hopes were that if she tried to use her wind that the flames would only grow from the increase in air and trap her. That had happened when he and Sakura were fighting the FIREY card after all. He couldn't see Shina's form at all through the crackling flames, and he watched intently and with baited breath, the orange glow reflecting off his amber eyes.

However, the wind burst forth again from the center, wrapping around the entirety of the fire, and Syaoran's eyes became wide as the giant flames seemed to be snuffed out in an instant.

"She…created a vacuum?"

Before he could even blink, Shina was directly in front of him, a wicked smile on her face.

"That was quite dangerous, you know…bad children should be punished"

Her hand outstretched towards him, and the wind began to swirl all around him, picking him up into the air effortlessly before tossing him roughly back onto the concrete ground, face down. Syaoran cried out upon the impact and writhed a bit in pain as a small amount of blood formed on his forehead. Shina laughed almost playfully and her slender finger motioned in a circle, forming another vacuum, this time around the boy himself. Syaoran felt the air leave his lungs and grasped at his neck as he struggled to breathe.

"No more spells for you. Be a good boy and die…but first…"

Shina's icy blue eyes gazed to the building that Sakura and he had been hiding in before. Her parasol twirled fast and dangerously before the blast of wind seemed to form tornado like gales and completely demolished the building, leaving it as merely a pile of rubble in its wake. Syaoran screamed in agonized silence for Sakura, unsure of whether or not she was still inside, and every second he watched the structure collapse felt like an eternity. He could do nothing but watch as Shina laughed in amusement, and the boy attempted to leave the magic surrounding him, only to be quite strongly kept in the center by powerful winds in all directions. Sakura…he had to get to Sakura!

His eyes squinted to see the rubble, and there was a faint pink glow coming from beneath the debris. An orb of light burst from it before dissipating and releasing the precious cargo inside. Sakura stood atop the debris, seemingly unharmed and whispered a silent thanks to the card that had saved her.

"Thank you, SHIELD…"

Syaoran was incredibly relieved to see her, but the danger was far from gone, and his vision was beginning to blur. Shina was displeased at this turn of events and began walking towards her, parasol spinning slowly. Sakura saw her approaching and felt a pang of fear, but seeing Syaoran in his situation and remembering his words from before brought her great courage. Surely, it would be all right. Sakura pulled out her chosen card and pressed the star staff to it, shouting out its name.

"LOOP!"

Syaoran could not even hear her call out the name of the card, and his vision went completely black as he collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Sakura ran forward, almost directly at Shina, but just before she reached, she seemed to vanish, and the goddess swirled around in attempt to locate her target. 

"Where did she…?"

Shina's eyes narrowed when she located the girl behind her, and the parasol was aimed in her direction, a horizontal torpedo of wind heading straight towards hers. Sakura remained very still and did not lift a finger, much to the goddesses' surprise.

"Are you surrendering? That would be for the best. This way your death will be q-"

She cried out as her own attack appeared to completely change course, striking her directly and pushing her into the large cherry blossom tree directly behind her. Upon her impact with the tree, the spells immediately vanished, the vacuum surrounding Syaoran now broken, and he coughed violently at the regaining of air. Sakura sighed in relief.

"I'm so glad…"

Sakura rushed to Syaoran but did not keep her eyes off of Shina, who was motionless for the moment and slumped down against the tree. She took the boy into her arms, cradling him gently as he worked towards breathing at a regular pace. That was too close…

Sakura wondered if she had managed to win. She certainly hoped so, since this whole situation was a bit frightening. But just as her hopes had risen, the goddess suddenly jerked awake, face holding much more rage than before.

"How…DARE YOU!"

She stood to attack Sakura again, and Syaoran shakily grabbed his sword, ready to defend her. However, just as Shina stood, the tree behind her seemed to move on its own, vine-like wood wrapping firmly around her. Sakura and Syaoran both watched in amazement as nature appeared to come to their rescue.

"What is this?! Release me!"

Shina struggled violently in the tree's hold, her parasol falling uselessly to the ground as her hand was pressed securely behind her. Syaoran looked to Sakura, still a bit breathless.

"Did…you do that?"

Sakura shook her head and continued to support him, emerald eyes filled with concern.

"Are you all right, Syaoran-kun?"

He nodded with a smile and looked back to the scene in awe. A voice spoke softly behind them, and the two instantly turned to face it.

"It seems you're favored by the gods, Sakura-chan"

Sakura and Syaoran were surprised to see Akane standing there, and she smiled at them, wearing nothing but pajamas before approaching the struggling wind goddess.

"Shina…it is all right now. You don't have to fight anymore. This is not you, remember?"

Akane lifted her hand and a warm golden glow formed in her hand, enveloping Shina. The goddess writhed as the light washed over her and the observing sorcerers had to look away when the shine became too bright to gaze upon. Once the light faded, they looked to the goddesses' face, which seemed to soften from its original deadliness. The wood wrapped around her released her and Shina looked around to those in front of her with a bewildered expression.

"Where am I? What…am I doing here?"

Akane smiled and gently touched Shina's hand.

"You remember who you are now? Amatsu-Mikaboshi…he got to you"

Shina's eyes widened and she frowned, gazing to Sakura and Syaoran.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Sakura smiled and shook her head, but Syaoran eyes turned downwards to the ground. They were lucky this time. If things had gone on much longer, there was no telling what would have happened. He wasn't able to protect Sakura or even touch Shina, and he knew there would likely be stronger people along the way in this journey. It was an unsettling feeling.

The wind goddess looked to Akane curiously.

"Who are you?"

The blonde smiled and gave a little wink.

"I'm a servant of Amaterasu, and I'm here to help"

Shina smiled back and stepped aside as the tree behind her began to glow a faint pink color. Cherry blossom petals on the ground seemed to lift and create the shape of a human form before falling back uselessly to the ground, leaving a young girl standing before them.

She had pale pink hair down to mid back with a red ribbon weaving between her slightly wavy locks, and she wore a beautiful pink kimono, fit for royalty, with a lavender obi belt around the waist. Her eyes were an enchanting gold color, and they held a certain innocence to them. The girl smiled at Shina with relief.

"Thank goodness you are back to normal, Shina!"

The wind goddess did not seem entirely surprised to see her and gently took her hand.

"Thank you for stopping me, Sakuya-bime"

Sakura blinked, looking between the two.

"Does this mean you're a goddess too?"

Sakuya-bime nodded and quickly moved to the emerald eyed girl.

"I am Konohanasakuya-hime, but some just know me as Sakuya-bime. I've also been called the 'Blossom Princess'. I knew you could stop Shina. You've always been so strong, Sakura-chan"

"How did you know my name?"

The princess giggled, as if this were a silly question.

"I've resided in this tree for a very long time. I've seen some of your strength here and some other things as well"

Sakura thought hard about everything she'd done at this shrine and remembered how much the tree had helped her in the past. It was here that she discovered the RETURN card and this tree had also been the very source to guide her into the past when she was seeking answers from Clow Reed. It was here that Touya had met Mizuki, where Syaoran and Sakura had one of their first heart to heart conversations…this place was immensely special. Sakura smiled brightly at the warm memories.

"Thank you…for everything Sakuya-bime. You were always there, and I never realized"

Sakuya-bime moved forward to cup her face in an almost motherly way.

"There are gods all around you who love you very much, Sakura-chan. You are a favored daughter of the gods"

She tilted her head at that statement, not really sure what that meant, but Syaoran smiled, having an idea of it. She was not alone in this mission. The gods would be there by her side, just as he would. He just hoped he would be able to do more for her in the future. He had to become stronger.

Sakuya-bime then moved to Syaoran, taking his face in much the same manner as she did with Sakura, much to his surprise. He blushed at the sudden contact, and the blossom princess pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. He stuttered in his shyness, which only served to make all the women and goddesses alike fill with laughter.

"Do your best, young Li. It seems you are well liked by the gods too"

His face was flushed and he nodded slowly, taking Sakura's hand in his. Syaoran looked to her once more, finding those golden eyes to be incredibly familiar.

"May I ask….your eyes…they seem…"

Sakuya-bime nodded, acknowledging his question before he even finished asking it.

"I was the one who attacked you last night. I apologize. I was tainted by Amatsu-Mikaboshi, and the blossoms on this tree I have been residing in turned completely black. But I was saved by a light that seemed to purify me. I couldn't remember anything or know who saved me until now"

The princess looked to Akane, who gave a slight bow of respect.

"I could not bear to see such gentle spirits like you and Shinatobe be corrupted as you were. I am relieved I was able to help"

The two goddesses nodded in their gratefulness and stepped back from the group, their forms beginning to dissipate.

"We must go now, back to where we are supposed to be. But we will be cheering you on and will help in any way we can!"

Sakura, Syaoran, and Akane smiled in appreciation and observed as Shina became a gentle breeze of wind and Sakuya-bime a pile of blossoms once more before the pink glow surrounding the tree faded. Sakura sighed softly and looked to Syaoran and Akane with relief.

"Well, that was really tough, but we made it through!"

Syaoran nodded and glanced across the scene of Tsukimine Shrine.

"It seems we left a bit of a mess though…"

Sakura blinked upon those words and her eyes trailed slowly across the cracked concrete, the fallen tree, and the shrine building that was now a pile of rubble.

"HOEEEEEEE!"

Akane laughed and waved her arms around.

"Don't worry! The gods will clean it up…probably"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at her.

"That didn't sound very encouraging…and are those _my_ pajamas?"

Akane laughed again, though a bit more nervously this time.

"I got sent here pretty suddenly, so it's not like I had time to arrange clothing"

The boy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was already starting to feel like it was a mistake to let her live in his apartment for the time being. Sakura continued to flail around, panicking about how they were going to clean the disaster zone that was the shrine.

"It's such a mess! This will cause all sorts of trouble for the town! But I have to get home, because I have dinner duty! OH NO, _DINNER DUTY_!"

Akane found it quite amusing how flustered Sakura was, and Syaoran moved to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Let's get you home. We'll figure it out tomorrow. Your family will worry if we don't get you back soon"

Sakura slowly nodded in agreement. As much as she hated to leave a mess, there was no helping it right now. There would be more trouble to come after all if she was late getting home. Before they left, Sakura took out her handkerchief and dabbed at the bit of blood on his forehead from earlier.

"Does it hurt?"

The boy shook his head, blushing once again at the gentleness of her actions, and the blonde simply watched, eyes focused on the boy for a long moment.

Syaoran and Akane guided her all the way back, though when the boy brought Sakura to the door, the blonde stayed behind a bit, since she was dressed in his pajamas and he did not want any more confrontation from Touya than he already had. He was thanked by Fujitaka for safely bringing her back, and though he could not see Touya, he could still _feel_ his glaring through the doorway. After successfully dropping Sakura off, Syaoran moved back to Akane, gesturing for her to follow him back to the apartment. The blonde trailed closely behind him, red eyes staring a bit intensely at him.

"What is it? You've been staring a lot"

He asked, feeling her gaze on him even though his back was turned. Akane frowned at his response.

"When were you planning on telling Sakura-chan that you're hurt?"

"If you're talking about my head, it's fine"

Akane took a larger step forward and whispered close to his ear.

"No…I'm talking about your other injury"

She reached forward and gently poked his chest, which evoked a pained wince out of him.

"I knew it. You really _are_ hurt"

Syaoran scowled at her and swatted her hand away.

"I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about"

"But Sakura-chan will worry. You know this"

His face immediately softened, eyes holding a hint of sadness.

"That's precisely why I can't tell her. I can't stand to see her worry like that. Please don't tell her"

Akane sighed a bit, but nodded reluctantly.

"All right, but if you push yourself too hard, you're gonna regret it"

The walk home from there on was a silent one, and Syaoran was in deep contemplation. This was only the beginning, and he had no doubt that things were going to become much more difficult along the way.

~ _CHAPTER END~_

Lilover131: Whoooo! This one took a lot of effort for me, but I hope it was worth it for you guys! I had a lot of fun writing it! Please look forward to the next chapter, and I will get on it as soon as I can! As always, thank you for your support, please leave me feedback in the reviews, and have a wonderful day!


	5. Creatures of Habit

Lilover131: Hello there! I hope you liked the last chapter! I was debating for quite a while about the outcome of that one, so I hope I made the right decision! Poor Syaoran is hurt, and he's of course hiding it from Sakura! I wonder how this one will play out?

 **Heart of Gold: Chapter 5-Creatures of Habit**

Syaoran writhed in his sleep, his lips muttering Sakura's name over and over again. His face was twisted with agony as he heard her voice screaming and calling out to him, and he seemed unable to move. She was in trouble, and he couldn't save her…he was _powerless_ …

The boy's amber eyes snapped open, and they came face to face with large garnet colored eyes that were mere inches from his face. In his surprise, he cried out and pushed the figure hovering above him before rolling clear off the bed. Syaoran hit the ground with a loud crash and winced upon the impact. Akane leaned over the edge with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you do this _every_ day?"

Syaoran sat up, groaning and frowned at the blonde, as if she had asked him a stupid question.

"What are you doing on my bed? I thought we got you settled in the guest room…"

Akane giggled.

"Well, I got lonely in there! But I was also worried about you. You were tossing and turning"

The boy blinked, not having realized that he had been so visibly distressed during while asleep. He stood up slowly, using the nightstand as a support before gasping sharply at the pain that formed in his ribs. Oh yeah…he had forgotten about _that_.

"You should take it easy and stay home today, little wolf. You've broken some ribs, and I imagine they're very painful without any sort of medication"

"I'm fine…"

Fine was not an accurate description. Syaoran found it rather difficult to breathe regularly, but in terms of pain, it was tolerable for the moment. Akane didn't seem convinced though, and she rolled her eyes.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you? Well, I made you breakfast, so you should eat up when you're ready"

Syaoran blinked at this. She made him breakfast? He hadn't seen her really even step foot in the kitchen before, so this came as a bit of a surprise. However, it wasn't really save to judge someone he didn't know well, was it?

"Y-you did? Thank…you…"

He said the words quietly, but Akane seemed pleased with this response and hopped off the bed, still donning his pajamas as she had before. They really needed to get her some clothes of her own…

Syaoran quickly got himself dressed and made his way to the dining room, where the breakfast had been prepared for him as promised. However, there was something a little… _off_ about it. First of all, he wasn't even sure what it was supposed to be. It was unidentifiable, and it formed a strange brown mass on the plate that had a gelatin like consistency.

"What did you make?"

He wanted to ask what it _was_ , but he decided it best not to be rude, since she made him breakfast and all.

"It's konnyaku. I heard it is good for your health"

Oh god. Not konnyaku. Why did it have to be _konnyaku_? It was the one food in the world that he simply couldn't stand, and it even seemed like she had done something weird with it. But…he couldn't refuse it.

"Thank you"

Syaoran sat down at the table and clapped his hands together, though it was more in prayer that he could get through this without hurting her feelings or becoming ill.

"Itadakimasu…" (translation: It's time to eat)

He said the words and slowly chipped off a piece of the gelatinous blob before taking a bite, eyes closed in anticipation of unsatisfactory flavors, but his eyes snapped open the moment it hit his tongue. It was… _good_. Akane's eyes were bright as she waited for his review, and he looked to her with pure astonishment.

"It's delicious…"

Syaoran stared at it for a moment, wondering what sort of magic she must have used to make something he once hated taste so good. Akane sighed in relief. 

"I'm so glad!"

The boy smiled a bit at the joy it seemed to bring her, and he continued to eat. The bizarre taste was actually keeping his mind off of the pain for the moment. Akane sat down on the other side of the table, where she had her own serving, and she began to eat as well. Syaoran glanced at her from across the table curiously.

"Hino-san…how were you able to stop the wind goddess? And the one in the tree the night before?"

Akane smiled sweetly.

"I said it before, didn't I? I'm a servant of Amaterasu. She is the goddess of the sun, so I have at least _some_ abilities. Purification is one of them"

Syaoran nodded a bit in understanding, but he still had questions.

"Why do you need our help then? If you have borrowed powers from a goddess, then wouldn't you be more capable than us?"

Akane frowned and shook her head. 

"I am not able to fight, and it's best that I lie low"

The boy tilted his head at this statement.

"Why is that?"

She looked to her plate with somber red eyes.

"Because being a servant of Amaterasu, if the enemy knows who I am, they'll stop at nothing"

The way she spoke also implied that she herself would be in danger, and since she appeared so sad, Syaoran stopped his questioning there. He didn't want to upset her, after all. He finished his meal and quietly picked up his plate as well as hers once he saw it was finished.

"Thank for the meal. I should get going to school"

Akane frowned.

"So you're really going to go…"

"I said before I was going to"

The blonde nodded and stood up from her seat, following him to the kitchen.

"I thought you might say that, so I made you lunch too"

Syaoran blinked as she reached onto the counter and handed him a neatly wrapped bento box.

"For me? Thank you…"

He took it into his hands and Akane smiled sweetly.

"Please take it easy today and don't overexert yourself"

Syaoran nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks"

 _~Heart of Gold~_

When Sakura returned home the night before, she explained everything that happened to Kero. It took quite a bit of talking to tell him all the events of that single day, but now they both were on the same page. The guardian, in his plush toy disguised form, hardly slept at all that night and sat on the windowsill with his arms crossed in contemplation. When the girl asked him what was wrong, he simply responded.

" _Why is it that you always have to be the one to deal with these dangerous situations?"_

Sakura did not forget to mention that Syaoran, Tomoyo, their new friend Akane, and the others were all by her side as well. They were all in it together, and though Kero nodded in understanding at this, he still could not conceal his worry. Sakura soon fell asleep, and when she woke, Kero was still in the same position by the windowsill.

"Kero-chan…did you sleep at all?"

He smiled at her and nodded.

"I did for a little bit, but I was thinking a lot and wanted to make sure you were safe"

Sakura smiled back at him and reached forward to pet him gently on his head.

"Thank you, Kero-chan. Please get some sleep while I'm at school today, okay?"

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"I'm sure everything will be all right. I'll call you if I need help"

Kero nodded and curled up on her bed, already ready to sleep.

"You should tell Yue too when you have the chance…about what happened"

Sakura seemed to be in agreement about that as she put on her school uniform and brushed her hair. She would have to find a moment to get Yukito to stick around between his busy college schedule and many part time jobs. He and Touya were always together though, so she was sure the moment to speak with him would come soon.

Kero went to sleep, and Sakura made her way downstairs where breakfast had already been prepared for her. Eggs, toast, and a few vegetables were on her plate, courtesy of her older brother Touya. She glanced at the board where they commonly wrote their schedules and noticed that her father had already left for work and it was Touya's turn to make breakfast.

"Morning, kaijuu" (Translation: Monster)

Sakura cringed at the nickname he commonly called her before taking her seat. Touya sat across from her, and the two began their meal. She sipped her water and looked over to her brother, her face beginning to hold a more serious expression.

"Oniichan…will Yukito-san be coming by anytime soon?"

Touya took a bite and gave a little shrug.

"Maybe. Why?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Oh, no reason!"

Her brother didn't seem convinced, and he stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. Sakura stared back, gulping nervously before he reached forward unexpectedly with his fork and snatched a piece of the eggs on her plate.

"HEY!"

She pouted as he bit into the stolen food, a devious grin on his face. After eating, Sakura hurried out the door, and Touya frowned once she was out of sight.

"So something's happened again…"

His brown eyes looked to the stairs, wandering up to where Sakura's bedroom was.

~ _Heart of Gold~_

Somewhere, a distance away, several figures were gathered in darkness, save for the firefly-like lights that floated around the stone covered room. There were pillars on either side, made of a marble stone, and between each pillar stood a figure. Within the center of the room was projection conjured by magic of the scene from the night before.

"Those humans are stronger than anticipated. And they're children…"

The voice that spoke had a soft, feminine tone.

"They may be strong, but they're still only human. The blonde girl on the other hand might be dangerous. She turned Shinatsuhiko away from us somehow…"

The second voice was deeper and most certainly that of a male.

"They're in the way. We should focus on obtaining the treasures for Amatsu Mikaboshi"

The third voice was also that of a male's, but with a higher voice than the one before. The others in the shadows did not speak, but a new feminine voice chimed in.

"I agree. Have we located the first treasure?"

The projection disappeared, and a male figure stepped forward, his form being slightly more visible, but still very much covered in shadows. The person seemed tall and thin, and he bowed slightly before speaking, voice matching the third that had spoken.

"I believe I have located it. Shinatsuhiko had been searching the area known as Tsukimine Shrine and thought it might have been located at the bottom of a pond there"

"Good…we shall send you then, Hachiman"

Hachiman bowed once more before making his leave.

~ _Heart of Gold~_

Tomoyo was almost always one of the first in her class to arrive. If her mother taught her anything, it was that punctuality was very important, and that being early was always better than being on time. The extra time always allowed for her to get things done that she ordinarily would not have had time for, and this in turn gave her the ability to focus all her energy into the things she loved, such as filming Sakura, baking, sewing, etc.

The girl was also one of habit, and being as observant as she was, often knew the times of when each person would make their way into the classroom. Of course, the day duty people would be first, but usually after that of her group of friends would be Naoko, Yamazaki, and then Syaoran. Shortly after that was usually Chiharu, and Sakura almost always came in just before the bell rang. Like clockwork, everyone came in at their usual scheduled times. Naoko took her seat and started reading a book, likely the first of the three a day she usually read. Yamazaki came in a few minutes after and instantly began to tell his fictitious stories. Next was…

"Li-kun! Good morning!"

Syaoran smiled at her and slowly made his way across the room before taking his seat one row to the left behind her.

"Good morning, Daidouji-san"

Tomoyo stared at him for a long moment, and he blinked almost nervously at her.

"W-what is it?"

"Are you injured somewhere?"

Syaoran nearly fell out of his seat at how she almost _instantly_ spotted that something was off.

"How did you know?"

"I just do. Did something happen?"

He was about to respond to her when the door to the classroom slid open, and Sakura stepped inside with her usual smile. Syaoran looked to Tomoyo pleadingly, his eyes begging her not to tell Sakura about his injury.

"Good morning Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran-kun!"

Tomoyo stared at Sakura in much the same way as she had Syaoran just moments ago.

"So something _did_ happen…"

"Hoe?"

Before anything further could be said, the bell rang, and the teacher arrived in the classroom. Everyone took their seat, and Tomoyo looked down at her desk, her face almost seeming a bit somber. Something had most definitely happened, and with everything Akane had explained to them yesterday, there were some real dangers around. The fact that Syaoran as hurt and concealing it from Sakura was a real sign of that.

Tomoyo never worried before when strange things were happening in Tomoeda, because she had unwavering faith in her magical friends, but this new threat seemed to bring a whole new aura, and the fact that she was unable to do anything to help them was incredibly frustrating. When they were capturing cards, there was an almost _fun_ feeling behind it, filming Sakura in her quest to capture them. There was also no feeling that these strange things before were out to kill any of them, but now…

She knew her place in things. Tomoyo understood that her moral support had meant a lot to Sakura and Syaoran, and that her observational skills were rare and useful. There was no question of her worth, but sometimes all Tomoyo wished was that she could protect the both of them, especially in these times.

Class began, and Tomoyo was determined to get some answers when lunch time arrived. She would keep Syaoran's secret for now, but she would keep an eye on him throughout the day. After all, if Sakura found out, she would be incredibly sad, and she couldn't have any of that. Surely Syaoran felt the same way…

 _~CHAPTER END~_

Lilover131: Look at me, not ending this chapter on a cliffhanger! I enjoyed writing this chapter, as it's helping me delve a bit more into each character, and I hope you look forward to the next one! Things are gonna get more and more exciting! Please leave me a review if you liked it or give some constructive criticism if you want, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!


	6. True Power (Part I)

Lilover131: Hey everyone! PLEASE READ THE MESSAGE BELOW BEFORE READING THIS CHAPTER.

 _ **IMPORTANT:**_ I apologize if people did not get the notification when the last chapter was posted. It seemed was having an issue with that (I say this because it was more than just me who had this problem), and of COURSE I picked like…the one week that was happening to post my chapter, but hopefully we're good to go from here on out! Without further delay, let's continue the story!

 **Heart of Gold: Chapter Six-True Power (Part I)**

"So that's what happened…"

Lunchtime had finally arrived, and Tomoyo had been explained to everything that had happened the night before. She wanted to say that she had wished she had gone with them, but what would she have done exactly? Filming was not really an option when there was wind flying around, capable of cutting you in two. Sakura smiled nervously and nodded, glancing to Syaoran.

"It was really scary, but I was all right, since Syaoran-kun was there"

The boy blushed at this and looked down at the bento that Akane had made for him.

"I really didn't do anything…"

Tomoyo could sense that Syaoran was feeling much the same as she did, even though he had magic power and was more capable of helping. When Sakura looked away from him for a brief moment, he winced, not going unnoticed by Tomoyo of course. However, Syaoran quickly shrugged it off and smiled at Sakura once she glanced back in his direction, then down to the bento he had.

"Li-kun…is that konnyaku in your bento? I thought you disliked it…"

Syaoran blinked at another one of Tomoyo's observations and Sakura turned her attention to it as well, remembering that the boy had not carried a fondness for the jelly like food.

"Ah. Hino-san made it for me and…"

"I told you that you could call me Akane!"

A voice came from behind Syaoran, and both he and Sakura cried out in surprise. Akane giggled, and though Tomoyo at first was surprised by her appearance, joined in the laughter after a moment.

"Good afternoon, Akane-chan. What brings you to our school today?"

Tomoyo asked with a calm tone, and Sakura and Syaoran both nodded in agreement with the question. A big grin formed on Akane's face, and she held out a bag in her hand, gently pulling out a uniform neatly wrapped.

"Is that…"

Sakura started.

"Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be a student here at Tomoeda Middle School!"

Both Syaoran and Sakura's eyes widened, and their shock echoed so loudly that the birds in nearby trees flew away from their surprise.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

~ _Heart of Gold~_

"That really startled me!"

Akane sat down on the ground with the others as they ate their lunches, her hand over her heart as she attempted to slow it.

"H-how? Were you already transferring in before you met us?"

Sakura asked curiously. It wasn't like she was opposed to the girl joining them at school, but the news had just been so surprising. Since it took time and a lot of paperwork to get into the school, she must have been doing things before meeting them. For instance, one usually had to be measured first before being sent their uniforms. She also technically did not have a place to stay until Syaoran offered, so it all didn't really make sense.

"No. I just walked in, they signed up me for classes, and gave me a uniform"

The group was dumbstruck.

"So…you just walked in to the administrations office, and—hey, wait a minute, are those my clothes again?!"

Syaoran frowned as he noticed the familiar shirt and pants that fit rather loosely on Akane's form.

"I already told you that I don't have anything else to wear, and my dress is still dirty"

The boy sighed, knowing it couldn't be helped.

" _So_ …you just walked into the administrations office, wearing _my_ clothes, and they signed you up and gave you a uniform, just like that?"

"That's right!"

"…How?"

"I can be very persuasive. I'm the servant of a goddess after all"

Akane winked, and the group still seemed to be in disbelief. Tomoyo, on the other hand, seemed far more concerned about another issue. The dark haired girl scooted across the blanket they had laid out across the ground and took Akane's hands into hers, a sparkle forming in her amethyst eyes.

"Akane-san! Let me provide you with outfits to wear!"

Sakura and Syaoran looked to each other, blinking a bit, but they couldn't deny that it was a good idea for Akane to have something to wear other than one single dress and Syaoran's clothes. Not to mention it would bring Tomoyo _great_ joy to dress someone. The blonde smiled and nodded eagerly.

"Thank you very much Daidouji-san!"

"Please call me Tomoyo!"

"Okay! Tomoyo-chan!"

Sakura smiled brightly at the two, and Syaoran felt a bit warmer watching her, though he winced again while no one was looking. The pain was steadily growing throughout the day, but all he had to do was get through school and see a doctor afterwards. If he left now, it would only worry Sakura. He could make it…just a little longer…

 _~Heart of Gold~_

Akane left once the bell tolled, signaling that lunch was over. Sakura and Tomoyo had tried the konnyaku she made for Syaoran and were just as surprised as he was that it tasted so good. There had been no discussion of the night before, which had been refreshing, and the classes started again as usual. Syaoran observed as Sakura stared at the math equations on the board with her usual confused gaze, and Tomoyo took down notes, seeming to keep up with things just fine. However, though Syaoran excelled in mathematics, his focus today was rather… _fuzzy_.

It was difficult to breathe, so each inhalation was a bit shaky, and beyond the pain, he now was beginning to feel a bit ill. His head was pounding, and the room felt so warm. He tugged a bit at his tie around his neck, hoping to lessen the discomfort, but it did little to relieve him. Everything around him felt blurred and distorted, and it was only when the Sakura waved her hand in front of his face that he came back to reality.

"Syaoran-kun, are you all right? You seem spaced out"

The boy gasped and pulled back a bit, nodding rapidly.

"Yes, I'm fine!"

Tomoyo frowned at his reaction, and he glanced at the clock, seeing that the school day had finally come to an end. Thank goodness…

"Tomoyo-chan and I are going to meet Akane-chan at the gate so we can go to her house and pick some clothes for her to wear. Do you want to come along?"

Sakura asked with a bright smile, her emerald eyes shining. Syaoran felt his heart race a bit seeing her like that. Oh, did she have any idea how beautiful she was? Tomoyo, started to speak on his behalf, hoping to help Syaoran out of the situation, considering he was still keeping his injuries a secret from the girl.

"Li-kun might be too busy t-"

"Sure. I'll go"

Tomoyo sighed as Syaoran resigned to Sakura's smile so quickly, though she couldn't really blame him. She was more charming than she'd ever know. However, his physical condition was a real concern, and bless Sakura, but she was too dense to really notice. And Syaoran…well, he was too stubborn for his own good.

Just like that, the group collected their things and made their way down to the gate where Akane waited. She was still dressed in the same clothes as earlier, and she got a few strange gazes from students that passed her by, since the clothes were clearly too big for her. She waved enthusiastically to them, and they all gathered into the car that had arrived to pick up Tomoyo. Akane nearly pressed her face against the window as they passed through areas she had yet to see, and Sakura and Tomoyo giggled at the wonder she seemed to have towards it all.

After a few minutes, they arrived at Tomoyo's house, and the blonde's eyes went wide, her head angling up as if it were much taller than it actually was.

"It's so huuuuuuuuuuuuge, and beautiful!"

Akane looked to the dark haired girl, who was smiling politely.

"Thank you very much. Let's go inside, shall we?"

They all made their way inside the home and were greeted by the maids that served the Daidouji household. Tomoyo led them to her room, and once the tea and snacks were delivered, she started to go through her massive closet in search of clothes.

"Hmm…this one might work….oh! This one for sure! And this one! Oh, this one won't do…but maybe this one…"

Sakura sipped her tea and smiled at Syaoran, who blushed in return, and Akane was practically bouncing in her seat in excitement at the clothing she would receive. When Tomoyo emerged from her closet, her arms were so full of clothes that they all silently wondered where she found the strength to carry it all. Yet, she switched to carrying it all with one arm and held the free one to Akane.

"Come, come! I have a space for you to change over here!"

Akane willingly followed, while the other two stayed behind with their refreshments. Once alone, Syaoran coughed a bit, and Sakura gazed over to him in immediate concern.

"Are you sure you're all right, Syaoran-kun? Are you getting sick?"

She placed her tea down gently on the table and reached forward to touch his forehead with her hand, the closeness making his cheeks flush.

"You feel a little warm…I think you might have a fever"

"I-I'm all right…really…"

Sakura didn't seem convinced and was about to remove her hand until Syaoran gently touched her arm, stopping her.

"But if you could keep your hand there for just a bit longer…it feels good…"

The girl blushed and nodded and watched as Syaoran closed his eyes and sighed softly. It was the first bit of relief he had felt all day, and even the pain in his chest seemed to lessen ever so slightly. While his eyes were closed, Sakura gave a giddy smile, seeming to enjoy it just as much herself.

Meanwhile, Tomoyo was helping Akane get dressed, and as she was putting on the stockings, the blonde looked to the other girl with a rather piercing gaze.

"Tomoyo-chan…is something bothering you?"

Tomoyo was rather surprised at how sharp Akane was. Perhaps she was not the only one around with great observation skills.

"You noticed? It's really nothing to worry about…"

Akane shook her head and took her hands into hers, red eyes almost shining.

"I already consider you a dear friend, and if you are troubled by something, then I have much to worry about. What's wrong?"

Tomoyo's amethyst eyes widened for a moment before falling to the floor.

"I…am not sure I'll be much help to you all in finding the treasures. I have no magic, so…"

Akane smiled kindly at this and gave a gentle squeeze of her hands.

"One doesn't have to have magic powers to make a difference, Tomoyo-chan. Surely, you must understand this"

Akane removed one of her hands and pointed to her chest.

"The real power we all have lies in here; our hearts. With a strong heart, you can conquer any magic in the world, and you are here, in this situation, for a reason. There is no such thing as coincidence, and fate surely doesn't make mistakes…"

Tomoyo was silent for a long moment, a bit stunned by her words, but she soon returned to her usual smile and nodded.

"Yes, you are right…Thank you, Akane-chan"

The blonde finished dressing, and Sakura and Syaoran turned their attention to the changing room upon hearing Tomoyo's squeals of delight.

"IT'S PERFECT!"

Akane emerged from the room wearing a high waist light pink skirt with a faint heart pattern and a lace lining underneath. She also wore a white lace shirt tucked beneath the skirt, with a scalloped collar that rested perfectly over the top of the gray cardigan she also had on. To match, she had white knit stockings up to mid thigh and light pink maryjane shoes.

"It's so cute!"

Sakura complimented the outfit and Syaoran simply nodded in agreement. Akane twirled around in her new outfit excitedly.

"I love it!"

"I'm so glad! I have many more for you as well, and since this one fits, I'm sure the others will as well"

Akane bowed gratefully.

"Thank you so much! I will treasure them greatly and-"

Her words were stopped short, and a serious expression formed on her face, her eyes turning to the window. Syaoran and Sakura seemed to do the same, and Tomoyo blinked at the strange reaction.

"What's wrong?"

Sakura looked to Tomoyo with a slight frown.

"There's a strong presence nearby…"

There was a silence amongst them for a few moments before they gathered themselves together and made their way outside towards where the magic was coming from. Sakura and Syaoran's eyes were darting all around in search of it, and Akane simply followed behind them with Tomoyo beside her. Tomoyo watched them and finally broke the silence.

"You know…I've always wondered, but what exactly does it feel like to sense magic?"

In the entire time she'd been by their side, she never once asked this question. Tomoyo had always rather blindly followed them and learned that it was useless to be surprised in the world of magic. Sakura and Syaoran blinked, not entirely sure how to explain it.

"Well…it's like…hmm…"

Sakura started. Syaoran thought quietly to himself before he responded.

"Every person, even without magic, has the ability to sense that something is odd or out of the ordinary about a place. You know how you feel strange when you know someone is watching you? Or have you ever gotten the feeling there was something there, even though you couldn't feel anything? It's like that, but magicians are much more attuned to it. It's impossible to ignore magic in particular, and everyone leaves a 'footprint' behind when they touch things. This is how I can find a person if there is an item left behind. I follow that trail left behind, and it's much stronger when left behind by a magician"

Sakura nodded in agreement with Syaoran's statement and smiled.

"Each presence gives me a different feeling too. Some are really warm feeling, and they give me good feelings, especially if they're close to me"

Tomoyo smiled herself at this.

"So when you look at the bear Li-kun gave you, you feel warm?"

Sakura instantly blushed, as did Syaoran, and Tomoyo and Akane both giggled at their reactions. The boy looked shyly to his love, as if to gauge the truth, and based on her red face, it was safe to say that warmth was indeed what she felt. He smiled gently before changing the subject a bit.

"Well…er…because magic is so strong to our senses, it's difficult to hide, so when Hiiragizawa was hiding his presence from us, it was really impressive. The only time he [i]couldn't[/i] hide it was when he was using it"

"Hiiragizawa? Who's that?"

Akane tilted her head at the name, and Syaoran's face seemed to turn rather grim at the question. Sakura smiled back at the girl before answering.

"Hiiragizawa Eriol. He helped me a long time ago with my magic, and he's the reincarnation of a really strong magician named Clow Reed"

Akane's eyes widened at the name.

"I know of Clow…he was a _strange_ , remarkable man"

"Hiiragizawa was definitely strange…"

Syaoran muttered under his breath and Sakura giggled. Although the boy had an immense respect for him as the reincarnation of his ancestor, Eriol had a habit of being rather cryptic with his words and found immeasurable pleasure out of confusing Syaoran. Tomoyo's expression held an entirely different feel before she made her own comments.

"Hiiragizawa-kun was very kind and talented in many things. It's been a little lonely not having him around"

Akane glanced over to Tomoyo and saw that her expression had softened a bit talking about him.

"I see…I hope to meet him someday then"

"You should be careful what you wish for, Hino-san"

Sakura frowned in Syaoran's direction.

"Syaoran-kun! You almost sound like my brother…"

"I suppose we can agree on some things then…"

The group finally came to a halt at the entrance of Tsukimine Shrine, and both the magicians seemed rather surprised.

"…Here again?"

Akane's red eyes gazed off through the entrance, even as Sakura frowned as the damage from the night before still lingered. It had been partially cleaned it seemed, but the guilt she felt from causing trouble for the people who cared for the shrine was heavy. Syaoran touched her shoulder comfortingly, feeling much the same way himself.

"It's here…"

Akane whispered, and the group looked to her curiously.

"One of the treasures…that explains why Shina and Sakuya-bime were here…"

Everyone's eyes widened, and Sakura and Syaoran continued to follow the presence of powerful magic. It was incredibly strong, especially considering how it had pulled them all the way from Tomoyo's house. Akane and Tomoyo followed behind, and as they grew closer, there came more urgency.

"We have to work quickly. If we could sense it from so far away, then there's no doubt one of Amatsu-Mikaboshi's followers will come to retrieve it"

As the blond said this, Sakura and Syaoran nodded in understanding before they came to a stop by the fortune telling pond. There was a gentle glow coming from beneath the water's surface, and the power emanating from it was like nothing the magicians had ever felt.

"Amazing…"

Syaoran stated this with a gaze of awe. Tomoyo leaned a bit over the edge before looking back to her friends.

"How should we retrieve it? Should we swim down?"

Sakura quickly released her star key and pulled out a card, seeming to know exactly what she wanted to do.

"WATERY!"

The water spirit within the card came out and plunged into the pond, and when it came back up to the surface, it held a glowing mirror within its webbed fingers. Sakura smiled and gestured for the spirit to bring it forth, and just before the mirror could be placed within her hands, something landed at her feet, causing Sakura to shout in surprise. The water spirit dissipated and returned to the card, and the mirror plummeted back into the pond. Syaoran's eyes widened when he saw what had landed by her.

"An arrow…?"

Without further delay, he grabbed at the girl's hand and started to move away. Akane looked to Tomoyo with a pleading gaze and shouted.

"Run!"

In the blink of an eye, more arrows appeared on the ground beside them, and the four of them rushed for the nearest cover behind trees. Tomoyo cried out as one grazed her leg, and Sakura's eyes widened in instant worry for her friend. The brief moment of distraction caused the emerald eyed girl to pause, and Syaoran quickly grabbed her, pulling her close against his chest and just barely tugged her out of the way of another arrow. Sakura was relieved to have missed the arrow, but she couldn't help but blush at the close contact with the boy. He smelled rather good too…

"Daidouji-san, are you all right?!"

The boy seemed concerned for her as well, and Tomoyo silently nodded, Akane keeping closely beside her. Syaoran's eyes were darting every direction, searching desperately for the source of the arrows. The sun had yet to set, but the lighting was not great, and with how close each arrow was, it seemed unlikely that this person just happened to miss them. With that level of accuracy, they could have been hit at any time, so why didn't the attacker strike while they were distracted before? Syaoran summoned his sword immediately and turned quickly back to the water.

"We were lured away!"

The girls gasped and gazed back to the pond as well and were quite surprised to see someone standing with their back turned to them. The young man, who looked almost Touya and Yukito's age, stood by the edge where they had been only moments ago. His long silver hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and he wore black traditional Japanese robes. A bow was held firmly in his left hand, but there were no arrows to be seen. None seemed to recognize him, especially seeing as the man had yet to face them, but Akane's face showed great worry already.

"Oh no…it's Hachiman…"

Her voice came out as a mere whisper, and the three looked to her in curiosity.

"Who is Hachiman?"

Sakura asked, her voice already showing her nervousness of the situation.

"Hachiman is the god of warriors…"

 _ **~CHAPTER END~**_

Lilover131: And there's the next chapter! Thanks for being so patient you guys! Things are going to heat up in the next chapter, so please look forward to it! Please remember to leave reviews if you liked it or wish to leave feedback! See you next time!


	7. True Power (Part II)

Lilover131: Hey there! Back again with another chapter! I've been so inspired by all the stuff happening with CCS lately, so I tried to get this chapter out as quickly as possible for you all! Thank you for being patient!

 **Heart of Gold-Chapter Seven: True Power (Part II)**

Sakura didn't know much about warriors, but even just from behind, something about Hachiman was awfully intimidating. She didn't notice Syaoran tightening his grip on his sword and gritting his teeth. He could tell even just by the way the man by the pond carried himself that he was powerful, and the magic that emanated from him was incredibly concerning.

However, more concerning than anything was the fact that the treasure within the lake was now closer to being in Amatsu Mikaboshi's hands, and they couldn't let that happen. Now that Sakura and Syaoran had sensed the strength of the treasure, they understood that more than ever. The god of warrior's hand extended out towards the pond, and the glowing aura of the treasure seemed to move ever closer to the surface.

"No, you can't!"

Sakura cried out and started running towards the man, star staff still in hand. However, the moment she did, Hachiman seemed to appear right in front of her, katana drawn. He swung in a quick motion, and the girl tightly shut her eyes as she waited for the impact. Surprisingly, there was nothing but a metal clang, and as she reopened her eyes, she found Syaoran in front of her, his sword having narrowly protected them. Syaoran's hands were trembling at the god's strength as he pushed back, his black eyes almost seeming to look right through them.

"If you intend to get in my way, I will have no choice but to end your lives…such a shame that is, seeing as you are so young…"

Syaoran scoffed at the god's threat, and Sakura's eyes were wide as his trembling increased. If he didn't get out of dodge quickly…

"Is that a Chinese jian blade? It's well crafted and must be protected by magic. Most blades would have shattered by now. Regardless, it cannot protect you…"

Hachiman pushed down even harder, evoking a rather troubled grunt from the boy. He wouldn't last much longer, and his physical status didn't exactly help. Syaoran was mere moments from breaking, but he heard Sakura's voice calling out from behind him.

"WINDY!"

A large gust of wind blew in from the side, knocking Hachiman briefly off his feet and buying Syaoran enough time to break away from the katana. He panted ever so slightly at the effort he had put in, and he moved to Sakura's side, carefully analyzing his next move as the god stared ominously at them through the gusts of wind, hardly seeming to be affected by the gusts.

"Syaoran-kun, are you all right?"

He seemed a bit more fatigued than usual, but he nodded at the question and spoke to her, not keeping his eyes off of the god.

"I'm all right. He's really strong…it took everything I had to hold him back"

"Hachiman will be stronger and faster than a human being"

Akane approached them from behind with Tomoyo alongside her.

"We'll need to make a plan if we want to get that treasure away from him then…"

Syaoran stated, and Sakura nodded in agreement.

"The priority is the treasure, right? Once we get that, would we be able to run away?"

Tomoyo asked, and Akane shook her head rapidly.

"There is no way we would be able to escape. We're going to have to immobilize him"

"What should we do…?"

Sakura muttered, staring down at her cards in hand. Syaoran looked to Hachiman, then to the pond.

"We should split up…there's four of us and only one of him. It would be difficult for him to deal with us all at the same time if we are not together…I can try and hold him off while you all retrieve the treasure from the water…"

Sakura instantly rejected the idea and wrapped herself around his arm, as if to keep him from running off by himself.

"No! I won't let you fight him all by yourself! I'm going with you…"

Syaoran's face softened, but he clearly did not like the idea of his love putting herself in danger, especially not against a god like this. However, he could not deny her when her eyes were pleading so desperately.

"…Fine...but we need a plan to take him down…"

The girl seemed determined now, and she looked to her three companions.

"I have a plan…"

Hachiman appeared to grow impatient from their discussions and he stepped forward, black eyes narrowed.

"Are you prepared to die now? I hope you said your last words to each other, children"

The four turned to face him after whispering amongst themselves. Soon after, Syaoran charged forward once again, his sword clashing with Hachiman's in a loud metal vibration. The god grinned in amusement at the newfound look of determination in his amber eyes.

"Good eyes…I like that fire in them, but you cannot possibly win…"

With that, the three others split off, Tomoyo and Akane ran into the trees where they were out of sight, and Sakura pulled out a card, bringing her staff out to activate it.

"POWER!"

A pink swirl of magic extended out to Syaoran and herself and wrapped around them, a red aura enveloping them visibly for a brief moment. Hachiman's expression showed slight surprise as he felt Syaoran beginning to push back with more strength than before. It was enough to keep the god occupied for a few more moments as Sakura pulled out another card.

"SWORD!"

The star staff changed form in her hand to that of a thin sword, and the moment her hand wrapped around the hilt, the motions of a master swordsman were deeply instilled within her. Sakura charged onwards towards the god, who was still fighting back Syaoran's increased strength, and she sliced down in his direction with a powerful cry. The wind like cuts that travelled through the air from her strike were met with both Syaoran and Hachiman's blades, but only Hachiman's seemed to break from it, the metal splitting cleanly in half. He jumped back, avoiding Syaoran's cut as there was no longer anything to protect him, and the god grinned in amusement.

"A sword that cuts only through what the master wishes to cut…that's some powerful weapon you have, child…"

Sakura stared back with strong eyes, and Syaoran quickly shouted an incantation.

"God of Thunder, answer my call!"

A brilliant bolt of lightning struck down upon the earth where Hachiman stood, a cloud of dust rising up from the strike. However, when the dust settled, Hachiman was nowhere to be found, and Syaoran and Sakura's eyes widened. They were both on high alert, and even so, the two barely noticed the blur that whizzed by them. Sakura quickly pulled out another card and activated it.

"DASH!"

Both her and Syaoran now felt as if their bodies were so much lighter, and they quickly rushed off into the woods for cover as a string of arrows followed after them.

Meanwhile, Tomoyo and Akane made their way towards the pond while Hachiman was distracted, although a quietly and discreetly as possible. The shrubbery helped them hide as they moved, and after a little bit of time, the finally reached the pond.

"That was rather smart of Sakura-chan to use those cards. After all, if Hachiman is stronger and faster than a human, then she had to get them on the same level, huh?"

Tomoyo nodded in agreement with Akane's statement, and the blonde looked to the pond.

"Once we grab it, we won't have much time. Hachiman will be onto us very shortly, if he isn't already…"

She whispered nervously and Tomoyo nodded once again in understanding.

"How will we get it? Should we dive down? I'm not sure how deep the pond is, and I'm not the strongest swimmer…"

The dark haired girl peeked down at the water, which was not very clear, though the glow of the treasure could still be faintly seen. Her fingers gently ran through the water, and Tomoyo gasped as the glow from the treasure suddenly seemed to move on its own and directly towards her. Akane watched with a hint of surprise, and she smiled.

"Well then…it's definitely fate that you were involved in this, Tomoyo-chan…"

The light of the treasure seemed to pulse, almost like a heartbeat, before consuming the pond in its light, and the moment it touched Tomoyo's hand, she felt a strange sensation travel through her body. Her amethyst eyes fell shut, and as they reopened, she found herself surrounded in a warm purple glow that seemed to stretch on forever. She gazed around and saw no one around her, and she felt almost as if she were floating in midair. Her heart was racing, and she called out quietly, her voice echoing in the space.

"Where am I?"

A ball of light formed in front of her and materialized into a silver plate-sized mirror in the shape of a lotus flower. It was adorned with many precious gems that glittered in the light, and on the direct right and left side were purple tassles. Tomoyo's eyes could not look away at the beauty of it, though the mirror itself seemed to be fogged.

"Beautiful…."

She whispered softly before a voice seemed to echo in her mind. It startled her at first, and she glanced around once again for the source.

 _"You, who are the embodiment of wisdom…before you accept me and take on this power, you must clear your heart of the doubt that clouds it…."_

After the initial surprise, Tomoyo was able to speak clearly.

"The doubts in my heart…?"

" _Yes…you have doubts of your abilities and fear you will be unable to be of help to your friends. You must cast these away…"_

The girl lightly bit her bottom lip and brought her hand to her chest. It was not something she could deny.

"How? How do I clear my heart?"

The voice was silent for a moment before quietly rising to the surface again.

" _Look in the mirror…what do you see?"_

Tomoyo gazed into it and saw nothing beyond the fogged glass.

"I cannot see anything…"

" _Close your eyes now. Think only of the ones you care about…"_

The girl nodded and shut her eyes, and all of the people she cared for came into her thoughts one by one. She thought of Sakura, Syaoran, her new friend Akane, her mother, her friends at school, and then someone else came to mind…she could see his dark blue locks and the sapphire colored eyes that were sometimes hidden behind glasses, the pale skin that almost looked as if it were made of porcelain, and the gentle smile that could in the blink of an eye turn into a smirk. She could hear his voice, and her heart instantly began to flutter.

" _Now open your eyes…"_

Tomoyo responded, and the vision in the mirror was now brilliantly clear. She could see herself now, but the image she saw was not the one she was used to seeing. This version of her had cheeks slightly flushed and a smile that said a thousand words. She was radiant, and her fingers reached out to brush against the glass of the mirror, but stopped just shy of doing so.

"That's….me?"

" _This is the real you. The you that wishes to protect the people you love. Now…take the mirror and accept the power I have to offer…"_

Tomoyo's eyes were shining, and she nodded before taking the mirror firmly into her hands. The power filled her instantly, and she gasped as the purple space disappeared around her, and she was back beside the pond, Akane's hand on her shoulder.

"You did it, Tomoyo-chan!"

The dark haired girl glanced down to see the mirror in her hands.

"So it wasn't a dream…."

She muttered quietly before looking to Akane. The blonde smiled at her.

"The mirror chose you to wield it, Tomoyo-chan…"

Tomoyo smiled brightly and nodded, and there was a moment of victory until Sakura's screams rang out from the forest nearby.

"That was Sakura-chan's voice!"

Within the forest, Sakura held her arm, which had a small cut from an arrow that passed by. Syaoran took her behind a tree with him and quickly inspected her wound.

"Are you all right Sakura?!"

She nodded with a little wince of pain.

"Yes, I'm all right…"

Syaoran sighed in relief and glanced behind them, his back to the tree as he held Sakura close to him. It was almost as if he was trying to pull her very body into himself to keep her safe, and she felt the sting of her wound already dissipating.

"He's so fast…even with the DASH card, we can hardly outrun his arrows…it might help if we could find out where he was shooting them from…but it almost seems like he's everywhere…"

Syaoran whispered between heavy breaths. The two were already exhausted from the constant running that had ensued, and they contemplated their next move while they had this short moment of safety. Sakura looked up to him as an idea seemed to come to mind.

"Syaoran-kun! I think I know how to draw him out!"

The girl shuffled a bit with her cards, pulling out yet another. She had used many today, and it was starting to really drain her, but she had to push on.

"ARROW!"

The spirit held within the card raised above the forest, bow in hand, and when she released her grip, hundreds of arrows rained down upon the forest, striking nearly every inch of it except for where Sakura and Syaoran stood. The couple stayed very still as they did, and when they stopped, Hachiman's figure could be seen through the trees, moving a bit slower than before towards the outside where the pond was.

"Let's go Sakura!"

Syaoran grabbed her hand and together, the two chased after the god who was undoubtedly going for the treasure. Hachiman emerged from the trees, scratches all over his body and eyes filled with anger. The black irises caught sight of Tomoyo and Akane by the pond, and the bow that was within his hands was raised and aimed in Tomoyo's direction. As Sakura and Syaoran exited the forest, their eyes were wide at the sight before them. Hachiman's finger released the arrow, and it barreled towards the girl, whose back was turned.

"TOMOYO-CHAN!"

Tomoyo turned upon hearing Sakura's voice, and the arrow struck the mirror in her hands directly, the impact creating a burst of energy that knocked everyone surrounding it off their feet. The arrow be absorbed by the mirror, and shortly after was shot back out at a speed even Hachiman could not outrun. The arrow struck him in the shoulder, and the god cried out in pain. Tomoyo held an expression of pure shock, her hands trembling slightly against the mirror.

"Did I do that?"

Akane nodded rapidly.

"Yes! Tomoyo-chan, focus your energy into the mirror and aim it at him…"

The dark haired girl's eyes softened at the anguished cries of Hachiman.

"Will it hurt him?"

"Not if you don't want it to. You have the power…it will only follow the will of your heart…"

Tomoyo nodded and took a deep breath before facing Hachiman. The mirror began to glow faintly a lavender color, and the aura enveloped the girl. Her hair and clothes waved lightly, as if there were a gentle breeze around her, and she aimed the mirror towards him. Hachiman charged towards her, a new katana forming in his hand.

"Daidouj-san, watch out!"

Syaoran shouted, and the god's sword struck the mirror directly. Great winds formed, and Tomoyo's face twisted with the effort she exerted to hold him back. Hachiman's feet slid against the concrete ground as he pushed forward with all his might, and the katana began to crack. Tomoyo gasped as a crack also seemed to appear on the mirror itself, and she felt the doubt beginning to return. Was she strong enough to do this? She had no magic, so what good could she do against a god? But just as the thoughts flooded into her mind again, she remembered the voice that had spoken to her within that cut off space.

" _This is the real you. The you that wishes to protect the people you love"_

Her eyes filled with determination, and Hachiman was pushed back with so much force that he flew back several hundred feet, his back dragging across the ground as he did. A silence took over in the moments after, and Tomoyo panted, nearly falling over had Akane not been beside her to keep her steady.

"You did it, Tomoyo-chan…"

The girl smiled and nodded slowly, glancing to the god who appeared to be unconscious. Sakura and Syaoran were incredibly relieved, and Sakura immediately ran to her friend, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

Tomoyo hugged her gently back and looked to each of her friends.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you all by my side…thank you…"

Sakura smiled at her with tearful emerald eyes, and Syaoran nodded in recognition, wearing a smile of his own.

"Thank you your help, Daidouji-san. We made out all right because of your strength…"

"How did you learn to do that anyways, Tomoyo-chan?"

Sakura asked curiously, and the dark haired girl began to explain her experience and what had happened. She listened carefully until a thud sound seemed to occur from behind her, and when she turned around, she shrieked in horror as she saw Syaoran in a heap upon the ground.

"SYAORAN-KUN!"

~ _Heart of Gold~_

Lilover131: MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I left it on a cliffy again! So yaaaaay! Tomoyo has finally conquered her doubts and found her true power, but poor Syaoran has definitely pushed himself too far this time. What will happen now? I suppose you'll have to find out *says in Dragon Ball Z narrator voice* NEXT TIME IN HEART OF GOLD! 


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